


What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Fledgling

by Whoareyou0000



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Asexual Raphael Santiago, Boys In Love, Canon Asexual Character, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago, Endgame Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Homoromantic Raphael Santiago, Insecure Simon Lewis, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Nightmares, Nothing Love Can't Fix, POV Raphael Santiago, Pansexual Simon Lewis, Protective Raphael, Protective Raphael Santiago, Raphael Santiago Has Feelings, Raphael Santiago Speaks Spanish, Raphael Santiago Takes Care of Simon Lewis, Romantic Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Simon Lewis Lives at Hotel Dumort, Simon Lewis Loves Raphael Santiago, Simon Lewis Needs a Hug, Simon Lewis is Raphael's Baby, Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago Fluff, Soft Raphael Santiago, Vampire Simon Lewis, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27404713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whoareyou0000/pseuds/Whoareyou0000
Summary: There were five things Raphael fully expected when he brought Simon home from the graveyard, and one thing that he did not see coming.
Relationships: Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago
Comments: 7
Kudos: 209





	What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Fledgling

1\. The Endless Questions

Raphael loved to read. Some of his favorite moments were spent in his bed with a good book, safe in his cocoon of window coverings as the morning sun hit the horizon. And the quiet, oh, how it soothed the fire within his mind.

Then, came Simon. Simon who always needed to know whether he sparkled in the sunlight (Raphael made that answer _especially clear_ ) and if he could eat garlic (of course they could, parsley on the other hand…) and if Raphael personally knew Dracula (How old did the fledgling think he was?) The questions seemed to get stupider and more ridiculous every night and they only ended when Raphael closed the door in the baby’s face and told him to go the bed. 

That morning, though, Raphael waited. He listened for the mattress springs to squeak, for the blankets to ruffle around the fledgling’s restless form, and then he tuned in to the almost muted music that Simon always listened to just before he succumbed to exhaustion. The song had the most soothing guitar solo and then transitioned to a calming male voice, assuring that all would be alright. By the third verse, the fledgling gave one last sigh and his mundane breathing evened out into peaceful slumber. 

Raphael thought maybe he’d ask the fledgling about that song the next night and learn something from him for once.

2\. The Sleep Deprivation

Vampires, though not technically living, needed their sleep too, and Raphael looked forward to his seven hours of blissful slumber. As the clan leader, he claimed the hotel’s nicest suite complete with a king-sized bed with silk sheets. Sinking into that mattress every day, stretching to fit the excess space, always soothed the aches of his responsibilities.

Fledglings, though, didn’t adjust to their nocturnal lifestyle so easily. Simon was often up during the day, pacing, watching TV, playing games on his phone. Raphael heard it all through the wall, listened for it actually. He rarely intervened, as it’s essential for the babies to adjust themselves, but he made a point to keep one ear open and, subsequently, sacrificed valued hours of rest. 

When Simon screamed so loud that his voice cracked, though, all of Raphael’s plans for tough love disappeared in a crippling cloud of worry. He jumped up and tore through their connected door, pajamas and all, and found the fledgling clawing at his sheets as if they they’d been bolted down. Blood leaked from his closed eyelids and stained his t-shirt and he let out the most heartbreaking, choking sob.

Raphael scooped the boy up and caressed his hair until those big brown eyes opened just a crack. He released an adorable squeak and then curled his shivering body further into the older vampire. “Está bien, Baby. Estoy aqui para ti. Nunca dejaré que nadie te lastime.”

Simon did not understand Spanish, that Raphael knew of at least, but the promises soothed him just enough. The clan leader repeated the reassurances as he gathered his baby into his arms and carried him back into his own suite for the day. 

The bed more than big enough for two.

3\. The Permanent Shadow 

Raphael had always preferred to keep to himself. Even in a crowded room he sought out corners, alcoves, the last seat at the bar where he could observe the party without joining. At Dumort, when not demanding the clan’s attention, he retreated to his office or the sitting room furthest from the lobby. The others knew not to disturb him during his personal time.

Of course, no one bothered to tell Simon of this mutual understanding. 

Raphael could swear that he’d suddenly become a daylighter because the fledgling tailed him like his own shadow. During his work time, during his free time, every moment in between, the boy never strayed far. Sometimes he’d disappear briefly, raising Raphael’s suspicions, only to return with a comic book or his guitar to pass the time while the clan leader worked. This constant companionship, though expected and not entirely unwelcome, tested Raphael’s patience. His inner introvert longed for alone time, until it returned to him unexpectedly. 

He noticed it almost immediately, the empty space behind while he exited the clan meeting and headed to his office. Halting, he looked around and then slowly backtracked as if searching for something lost. He found the fledgling alone in the conference room, phone to his ear, voice tense, as he repeated the words “Mom, I’m sorry.” He ended the call a moment later and met Raphael’s concerned stare with shimmering eyes. “Raph, she’s drinking again.”

He met the fledgling halfway and pulled him into a loose hug, running a hand through his hair in the way that always calmed. “That’s not your fault, Baby.” He repeated it again and then led the boy back to his room, where they’d spend the night reminiscing about their childhoods and reading, together.

4\. The Feeding Schedule 

The drive to feed came naturally to vampires. Raphael never had to worry about the members of his clan eating enough. He supplied the blood and it disappeared from the shelves with none of his family ever appearing underfed. He’d never met a vampire adverse to the idea of drinking blood, until Simon.

The fledgling did everything he could to avoid feeding. He’d conveniently make himself busy at mealtimes, talking to Clary on the phone or doing the training that he otherwise avoided. Raphael always tracked him down right on schedule, thrusting the fledgling’s stupid panda-shaped mug into his hands and instructing him to “Drink, idiota.” He’d raise it in a mock toast and reluctantly obey. Honestly, if it weren’t for Raphael the boy would starve. 

So, when he searched for Simon, panda in hand, and found him collapsed in front of the toilet, he lost his grip, literally. The mug smashed to the floor, covering the white tile in red, and Raphael scooped the fledgling up by his armpits, leaning the boy’s back against his chest. Simon coughed and then moaned. “My stomach hurts.” Raphael scanned the room and landed on the empty wrapper in the trash. “Simon, did you eat chocolate?” He answered with a pitiful “I just missed it so much.” Raphael wrapped him tighter and spoke into his sweaty hair. “It’s okay, idiota. You’ll be okay.”

Raphael snuck out to the store later that night, while the fledgling slept off his sickness, and bought some cocoa powder along with a new mug proudly portraying a smiling, fanged bat.

5\. The Fledgling-Proofing 

Raphael hardly remembered the sun. He could imagine the warmth, the orange glow, the shades of pink, yellow, and red that rotated with time. He watched videos of sunsets on the internet sometimes to remind himself. Still, his every instinct kept him far away from the windows during daylight hours. To vampires, the sun represented certain death and they’d no more likely seek it out than a fish seeks out dry land.

Fledglings, though, remembered the sun. Simon commented on it often- how he missed the way it reflected off New York’s tallest buildings and heated his face on even the coldest winter days. He’d muse on it forever if Raphael didn’t cut in with a sigh and a request that he talk about literally anything else. The sun still remained a friend in Simon’s eyes and, even more dangerously, an afterthought. 

So, Raphael should not have been surprised when he heard the shriek coming from the fledgling’s room sometime around noon. Worried, fearful, devastated, but not surprised, when he found the fledgling curled up in the bed’s shadow as a ray of steaming yellow leaked through the crack in the heavy curtains. “I was half asleep. I forgot it was daytime,” the fledgling squeaked. Raphael swallowed his concern and focused on portraying control and calm. “Don’t move, Baby. I’ll take care of it. Just don’t move.” He kept to the shadows as he rounded the room and reached the string that controlled the blackout shade. Slowly the barrier rolled back into place and darkened the room again. 

Simon immediately ran to his clan leader and enveloped him in a strong, grateful hug. “Thank you. That would’ve sucked so much.” Raphael pulled back and ran a quick hand over the boy’s exposed areas. Only a shadow of a sunburn reflected on the boy’s cheek, already healing. Raphael sighed into a relieved smile. _Idiota._

Once night fell, Raphael installed fledgling-proof cord locks on the shades and checked them himself every morning, just in case.

+1. The Feelings

Raphael learned the terms ‘asexual’ and ‘homoromantic’ around his twentieth year as a vampire. He’s always known that he didn’t fit any existing terminology, but as romantic attraction happened so infrequently for him, he never had cause to look too closely at any of it. He went on with his undead life per usual, investing himself in work, literature, and most importantly his clan.

Then, he acquired his very own fledgling. A boy close to his own age when he was turned, a boy with big soulful eyes, soft messy hair, and a quirkiness that Raphael found, God-help-him-adorable. A boy he’d tried so hard to save, because he didn’t deserve such a heinous death, but failed. In turn, the boy became his to protect, guide, and care for…his baby, but more as of late…so much more. 

He’s not sure when it shifted. When his mind started going _there._ It happened slowly, a lingering look here and a touch there. The feelings snuck up on Raphael on one average day. The fledgling curled into his chest after another horrible nightmare and suddenly all he wanted to do was run his fingers through that wayward hair, kiss his forehead, and profess his undying (literally) love. It hit him so hard that he froze, actually inhaled, causing Simon to raise his head in question. 

Raphael said nothing. Waved it off with a roll of his eyes, invited the baby back into his fold, and swallowed the winding knot of romantic profession that threatened to breach his lips. He hid his feelings, tucked them way down deep where he hoped no one would see. Simon was young, still adjusting, and Raphael was old and set in his ways. He told himself that it would not be fair to put Simon in such as position. 

Then, surprisingly, the fledgling made the first move. They’d been lounging in Raphael’s bed, cuddling really, and laughing about some movie Simon had made him watch about zombies and Bill Murray. Then the boy raised up on his elbow and blurted a string of nervous, heartfelt words. 

“So, um, I like you, a lot. Like _a lot_ a lot. I’d really like to be more than friends with you. Not that I want to _do_ anything that you’re not into, you know, I’m totally good with whatever makes you comfortable and I like you for who you are and I just…would you maybe wanna be boyfriends?”

He must have looked terrified, judging by the sudden paling of the fledgling’s complexion and his attempt to flee, but Raphael found his footing quickly enough to curl gentle fingers around the boy’s neck and draw him back until their bodies mostly touched in the bed’s middle. He ran a loving thumb over the soft, tiny hairs at Simon’s scalp.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Baby? I need you to be sure. I need you to make this choice on your own without my influence, knowing that I’m here for you no matter what you decide. Do you understand?”

Simon met Raphael’s eyes with a smile that could rivel the sun. 

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Raph, and I’ve never felt so _loved._ Not to assume that you, uh, anyway I’m perfectly capable of knowing what I want and you’re definitely not, like, taking advantage of me or whatever you’re torturing yourself about so…yes. I’m absolutely sure that I want to be with you. Do…do you wanna be with me?”

Raphael expected the sleepless nights. He expected the constant questions and the clinginess and even the growing pains and bumps and bruises that came along with having a fledgling. 

“Yes, Simon. I would like very much to be your boyfriend.”

What he did not expect, was to fall in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Shadowhunters, Simon, Raphael, or their cuteness. The title and concept inspired by the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting." 
> 
> Authors Note: Because I think we all need a little bit of fluffy hurt/comfort right now. <3 Love to all of my fellow aces out there and happy belated ace week! Enjoy and talk to me in the reviews, if you'd like. I swear I don't bite...unlike these two. 
> 
> Está bien, Baby. Estoy aqui para ti. Nunca dejaré que nadie te lastime. = It's okay, Baby. I'm here for you. I'll never let anyone hurt you.


End file.
